Comments on: At the DMN, Sales Folk Rule the Roost, Ctd.

By: Dubious Brother

Dubious Brother — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:33:32 +0000

Sarah – You won’t read about it in the DMN or hear about it on the networks because they have chosen to not investigate the facts but instead fell for the hoax. I fell for it in the ’70’s when the “coming ice age” had some influence on my move to Dallas from up north. Don’t take my word for it but google “climategate” and decide for yourself.

By: J R

J R — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:03:05 +0000

C’mon people. All editors report to a publisher. That publisher also is in charge of all advertising. So that publisher is the head of the sales dept.

Wick is a publisher…and he knows darn well that balancing the sales and news needs is a delicate thing.

By: CupCake

CupCake — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:30:12 +0000

I’m mildly curious why you, Wick, or any of your editors have not voiced an opinion on this change.

By: sarah

sarah — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:45:29 +0000

Uhm… it’s not a strategy. It’s abandoning a code of ethics. Part of what newspapers used to do is act as an editorial voice in the selection of their stories; if a story appeared in the paper, it was important. Moreso if it was on the front page. When people used to trust newspapers, this was good.

But thanks to this and other stupid moves, people don’t trust editors anymore. Even though one would think that the overload of information nowadays makes this function more, not less important – so letting advertisers dictate what gets play is even MORE depressing.

No, we’re not in their shoes. But somebody there needs to grow a friggin’ back bone. (I always think about this piece: http://www.nypress.com/article-9701-shoveling-coal-for-satan.html)

(Also: Global Warming HOAX? Are you SERIOUS?)

By: Brown Bess

Brown Bess — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:24:42 +0000

Will someone explain to me how this is a “bold” move?

And no doubt DB will get his wish when hometown Exxon starts taking out whole page ads on the “myth” of Global Warming.

By: Billusa99

Billusa99 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:22:12 +0000

DMBurrows… Yes, there is a successful model right now. It’s called ProPublica.

http://www.propublica.org/about/

By: Peterk

Peterk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:15:10 +0000

maybe the DMN should be less raw raw on somethings and more skeptical. I’m talking about the rivuh.

or better yet why not do a little more investigation into why South Dallas is so hard to develop. could local politics being playing a significant role

or investigate the issue of voter fraud. why does it take two youngsters to expose ACORN for what it is?

how about more hard reporting about the Mexican consulates efforts to help illegal aliens

report the local stuff first then worry about the national and the international. if you’re going to report the national and international look at it objectively (ie no bias) and put a local spin on it

By: IfUSeekFoodie

IfUSeekFoodie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:36:50 +0000

As a business model, I can see the downside of giving one-star to one of your biggest restaurant advertisers. Would the world have changed if they had just decided not not review such an old restuarant in the first place?

And having half of the food staff working overtime on a week of dining that brings ad revenue only to a competitor (OK, so a different medium) would make me cringe. Does it really take a business major to see the money on the table?

It used to be people would scootchie up to you while you read the Guide and ask “so who was reviewed?” – completely unnecessary now that the review is printed on-line two days before the print product. Does no one have to pay for information anymore?

We want more local, but import a restaurant reviewer from the West Coast. Does anyone get 5 stars for their efforts when based on that history of food?

By: DMBurrows

DMBurrows — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:25:46 +0000

Are there any publications which operate (successfully) on the NPR/PBS business model?

Not-for-profit, independent of stockholders and politics, raises funds from core-audience, access to some federal funds, etc.

By: queuno

queuno — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:17:45 +0000

I don’t know if they still do this, but some time ago, Las Ultimas Noticias (www.lun.com), a paper in Chile, used to decide which stories to feature the next day based in part on which stories (or types of stories) the readership clicked on that day.

How is this different (featuring stories that advertisers want to click on)?

We long ago accepted the evening news to be driven by eyeballs and advertisers? What’s so holy about the DMN?